Nineteen eighty-six marked a year of breakthrough in the political development of the Republic of China. In order to fully carry out the nation's democratic Constitution, the ruling Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party, since moving to Taiwan has carefully and actively promoted political democratization, culminating last year in its declaration of a policy to lift martial law and to open up the formation of new political parties.
In an address on December 25th to commemorate the ROC Constitution, President Chiang Ching-kuo said that the KMT and the government are in the process of promoting a series of reforms that it is hoped will lead to further progress for the nation. He stressed the continuing nature of reform and pointed out that "in all reform measures, the principles of national security and the constitutional system must be firmly adhered to in order that the process of advancement be correct and effective."
Why has there been a breakthrough? "Taiwan's economic progress over the past thirty or more years has raised living and educational standards and increased the desire of the populace to participate in politics. This, together with other changing objective conditions, has made 'lifting martial law' and 'opening up the formation of new political parties' a natural decision," says government spokesman Chang King-yuh.
In fact, the KMT already competed with other organized political groups in last month's elections, and won nearly 70 percent of the vote and 80 percent of seats. Since the new political group's votes and seats also increased, both sides earned spoils. "The real winner was democracy," the internationally famous political caricaturist Ranan C. Lurie has said.
What the public is most interested in now is-how will society change after martial law is lifted? What will the new "National Security Law" contain? And what effect will the election results have on future political developments? Political observers are optimistic that the government will continue to move forward, because political democratization is both the ruling party's objective and the most effective weapon in defeating Communism. The turbulent movement for human rights, freedom, and democracy on the mainland last December further proves the point.
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